SQL Server hierarchyid: A Built-In Alternative to Recursive CTEs
Learn how SQL Server’s hierarchyid data type stores and queries tree structures without recursive CTEs, with practical examples for org charts and hierarchical data.
Recursive CTEs in SQL Server: How the Parts Actually Work Together
A plain-language walkthrough of recursive CTEs in SQL Server, breaking down the anchor, the recursive member, and the iteration cycle so the syntax finally makes sense.
A Better Cursor Pattern for SQL Server: Cursor Variables and @@CURSOR_ROWS
Replace the traditional WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS cursor loop with a cleaner pattern using cursor variables, STATIC cursors, and @@CURSOR_ROWS for more readable, less error-prone T-SQL.
Pick a Convention and Stick With It
You know what’s worse than a bad naming convention? Two naming conventions in the same database. I ran into this last week while writing a verification query for a PostgreSQL database. The query is a…